


What the Rain Washed Away

by Chillhopsenpai



Category: Sword Art Online
Genre: Action & Romance, Alternate Universe - Detectives, Angst, Detective Noir, F/M, Fluff, Murder Mystery, Mystery
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-04-16
Updated: 2019-02-11
Packaged: 2019-04-23 12:15:42
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 4
Words: 16,870
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14332275
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Chillhopsenpai/pseuds/Chillhopsenpai
Summary: Kirito is a private eye who has seen it all and come out grimacing. Asuna is the captain of the city's police force. The two are brought together when a case comes across Asuna's desk that Kirito's been searching for answers for years with no luck. The two are thrown into danger headfirst as they scramble to figure out the culprit behind a grisly string of crimes as time ticks and the rain pours. As the pressure escalates, memories and feelings are remembered. What might they find?





	1. Shadows Remembered

**Author's Note:**

> As always, I thank you all for your time and continued support. I've been on a jazz kick lately and it inspired me to pay homage to a good old fashioned gritty detective story. It's always fun to flex my skills a new style, and I hope you all enjoy it just as much as I do! Again, if you feel like showing your support, please feel free to leave your comments and likes or follow me at chillhopsenpi.tumblr.com

Kazuto sat at the bar, a shadow under the amber lights of the Lucky Dice Café. He took a long pull from his cigarette, letting the smoke sear his lungs before exhaling through his nose, twin jets of smoke adding to the cloud of noxious fog that hung in the bar like a bat suspended from the ceiling. Agil, the bartender and owner, diverted his attention from the glass he was polishing as Kazuto ground the butt of his cigarette into a nearby ashtray and proceed to rap his knuckles on the polished mahogany. A glass slid down the length of the bar and found its way into Kazuto’s hand. Ice cubes clicked like castanets as he fired back the strong liquor and shook his head as the drink burned a line down his throat.

A quiet murmur filled the bar as the few scattered patrons chit-chatted among themselves while a jazz band played a sultry slow rhythm from the corner stage. Agil looked over at Kazuto again and made his way over to where the raven-haired man sat. Agil leaned over the bar next to Kazuto, making it look like he was simply surveying his establishment.

“Another one, huh?” Agil murmured, hardly moving his mouth.

“Yeah,” Kazuto said to his glass. “Third time this month.” The corners of Agil’s mouth turned up.

“That a fact? Sounds to me like APD is getting awfully chummy with their new consultant.” Kazuto shot a glare at Agil out of the corner of his eye. The big black man pretended not to notice.

“I prefer working on cases myself.”

Agil snorted. “Just like everything else you do. You need to get out more.”

“I am out,” Kazuto retorted. “I’m here, aren’t I?”

“Working on a case. Any other time you’re down here, it’s because you’re about to pass out from staying cooped up in that office too long.” Kazuto finished his drink and set it down hard on the bar.

“You’re not my mother Agil, back off,” he snarled. Agil slowly stood up and coolly took the empty glass from in front of Kazuto and refilled it.

“I am, however,” Agil murmured. “Your friend. I’m just worried about you.”

Whatever comeback Kazuto was about to shoot off was cut short by the bell over the front door ringing as someone came inside. Out of the corner of his eye, Kazuto saw a figure in a long red coat take a seat at the bar next to him as he glowered into his drink. Agil addressed the figure with a smile and a polite nod.

“Good evening, Captain. Can I get you something to drink?”

“Manhattan, on the rocks, two cherries,” a tired female voice answered. Agil gave a curt nod as he reached one hand under the bar to grab a glass while the other picked up a bottle of sweet vermouth, flipping the container with absent-minded practice.

Kazuto turned to the figure next to him and nodded an acknowledgement to its existence. “A pleasure as always, Captain Yuuki.” Asuna Yuuki, captain of the Aincrad Police Department, looked over at him with a small chastising smile.

“Come on, Kirito. You don’t need to be so formal. We went through basic training together after all, and we’ve been working together almost this whole month now. You can call me Asuna.”

“If you say so… Asuna.”

“Hold on, you’re friends with Kirito too?” Agil asked as he handed Asuna her drink. Asuna smiled over the rim of her glass as she took a sip.

“I guess you could call us that. Most people would,” she answered, shooting a coy smile and a sidelong look to the man next to her. Kazuto grunted and swirled his drink.

“I don’t have any friends,” he muttered sullenly. Asuna and Agil rolled their eyes and looked at each other knowingly.

“So what’s the reason behind yet another outside call to an independent agency, Captain?” Agil asked. “Kirito’s been so busy he’s hardly had time to come in here and sulk in his drink.”

Asuna smiled apologetically and shifted on her barstool so her coat opened to show her white APD uniform and silver cross-shaped badge. “Sorry, but that’s-”

Agil cut her off with a dismissive wave of a large hand as he turned away and walked further down the bar. “Official APD business, yeah, yeah. Should’ve known when the other one wouldn’t tell me even after he was full as a boot.”  Asuna raised her glass in a good-natured salute as the bartender retreated from earshot.

“Full as a boot, huh?” Asuna asked Kazuto as soon as nobody could overhear them. Kazuto pointedly finished his drink and set the glass down on the polished bartop with an audible _thunk._ “You’re still searching, aren’t you?”

“So why did you call me?” Kazuto asked stiffly. “Another robbery? Missing person?”

Asuna’s eyes lay heavy on him for a silent moment before she turned back to her drink and took a long sip before answering.

“I wish that was all it was,” she muttered darkly.

“Well what is it?” Kazuto repeated, tension starting to make his gut writhe.

The captain was well known in the city for her ironclad confidence and ice cold calm under all kinds of pressure. Seeing her so beaten down made Kazuto’s danger sense start to buzz like a beehive at the back of his skull. Asuna finished her drink and dug some loose bills out of her coat pocket, placing them gently under the glass on top of the bar.

“Come on,” she said as she shrugged her coat tighter around her on her way towards the door. “I’ll show you.”

 

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

The rain came down in a thin dreary mist as Kazuto rode along in Asuna’s cruiser. The police scanner remained fairly quiet as they drove, the silence only being broken by idle chatter of officers updating their positions. Streetlights flickered to life as the overcast sky began to darken, each being haloed by the nonstop precipitation.

Asuna finally pulled the car over to a stop outside of an apartment complex on the rougher side of town. She parked next to a uniformed officer who was hailing the car from the sidewalk. She killed the engine and exited the car with Kazuto. The uniformed officer quickly fell into step on the other side of Kazuto, who watched the young man puff out his chest with poorly concealed contempt.

“It’s alright, Corporal,” Asuna said quietly. “He’s aiding me with the investigation.” The young corporal’s chest deflated like a balloon.

“Forgive me Captain,” he replied meekly. “I just wanted to help.”

The trio finally reached the complex entrance and came to a stop. Asuna turned to the man and placed a firm hand on his shoulder, causing him to jump slightly and look up at her.

“I know, Randy,” she said softly. “You’re doing a great job. This one’s going to be for the big kids though.” She gave a nod in Kazuto’s direction. “That’s why I brought him. I do have something for you to do, though. Something important.”  The corporal, Randy apparently, perked up a bit.

“What is it, Captain?”

“I need you to stand here and stop any paparazzi that show up from coming in. Nobody without a badge comes in, got it?” Randy nodded furiously and gave Asuna a salute.

“I won’t let you down, Captain!” Asuna patted him on the shoulder.

“I knew you wouldn’t, Randy,” she said as she turned towards Kazuto. She brushed by him as Randy took up a position in front of the entrance, spreading his feet wide. “Come on, let’s go up.”

“Someone should tell that kid’s mother he’s playing cop up past his bedtime,” Kazuto commented on their way up the stairs. “How long he been on the force?”

“Today’s six months out of the academy for Randy,” Asuna murmured. She shook her head slowly. “Hard to believe that was me just a few years ago; bright eyed and bushy tailed. Practically itching to do the right thing.”

“You still do the right things, Capitan. Overall crime rates have gone down twelve percent since your promotion.” Asuna’s eyes never left the stairs.

“Then if I’m doing such a great job, how could this happen?”

They finally reached their destination: an apartment door that was flanked by two more- slightly beefier- uniformed APD officers. One saw the pair approaching and wordlessly lifted the yellow caution tape that barred the doorway so that they could pass under.

 

The apartment was a hellscape. Blood was smeared along the walls and cheap linoleum floors. Kazuto swallowed back bile that crawled up his throat at the stench. Forensics crew members tread silently as wraiths through the wreckage of overturned furniture and splotches of blood, only making noise when the shutters of their cameras clicked.

Asuna led Kazuto further into the apartment and down a hallway where more blood adorned the walls and floors. Kazuto thought quietly to himself that all of this blood seemed to be far too much from one person. Asuna stopped in front of the door at the end of the hall where the trail of blood ended ad turned to look at him.

“This is why I called you,” she murmured and opened the door. Kazuto kept his gaze on the red floor until his boots squelched on the carpet of the bedroom. Slowly, after taking a shallow breath to steady his nerves, he raised his eyes.

 

A man lay face up on the bed in the center of the room. Blood was everywhere. It soaked the sheets, pooling under the deadweight that occupied the bed. It covered the walls like a demented splatter paint exhibition. Kazuto stepped closer to examine the body.

The victim was young, and looked to Kazuto to be in his early twenties. His eyes had glazed over and his flesh had already begun to stiffen and turn blue. His chest was an unholy mass of stab wounds so voluminous in number that Kazuto couldn’t distinguish individual entry points. The rest of his body seemed untouched: no bruises or slash marks marred his legs or his hands.

“Didn’t defend himself,” Kazuto noted. He heard Asuna’s coat rustle as she moved to stand next to him.

“Techs said no sign of forced entry either.”

“So he knew the killer?” Asuna shook her head as she pulled out a small notepad out of her pocket and passed it to him. He took it with a sidelong look and a raised eyebrow, but Asuna continued to stare at the corpse without a word. Kazuto frowned slightly and looked at the pad, which had been written on in Asuna’s elegant script.

_My forensics tech already checked the guy out. No friends, worked from home, and had all his essentials mailed to him. Name was Ryuji Sabato. We’re working on figuring out his online footprint, but it’s gonna take some time. We’re keeping everything about this quiet. This is the third murder carried out like this in the past three months._

Kazuto’s eyebrows rose at the last sentence but he remained silent as he tucked the notepad into his coat pocket.

“Seen everything you need to?” Asuna asked. Kazuto nodded.

“Yeah.”

Together, they left the room and exited the apartment. Once they were alone in the stairwell, Kazuto turned to Asuna.

“This is the third time in three months that something like this has happened?”

“No,” she answered tightly. “This is the third time in three months that something _exactly_ like this has happened.”

“Holy shit, Asuna, You’ve got a serial killer loose in Aincrad.”

“Thanks for the brilliant intellect, Sherlock.

“Why haven’t more people been involved in this?” Kazuto asked. “There needs to be a manhunt or a task force. Hell they could bring special agents in from the Cardinal Bureau of Investigation for this!”

“Only problem with that being a state of panic in Aincrad. Plus the fact that bringing more people on makes it more of a mess of red tape and time consuming protocol where the killer could get away. Not to mention the possibility of copycat killers popping up, and a city losing its newly restored faith in it’s police department.” Asuna looked away from him. “Aincrad PD is supposed to be the most capable people involved in protecting this city. We can’t let them down,” she whispered, her voice thick with emotion. Kazuto grimaced.

“Gah, this is why I work alone. I could’ve kicked this up to someone else.”  He crossed his arms over his chest. “What about witnesses? Someone had to have found these bodies.”

“There haven’t been any-”

“There haven’t been any?!” Kauto burst out incredulously. “There have been two other murders like that shit show upstairs and nobody has seen anything?!” Asuna’s hand clamped firmly over his mouth, stopping him dead in his tracks on one of the landings in the stairwell.

“First of all, keep your fucking voice down,” Asuna growled as she glared daggers at him. “One of the reasons nobody’s heard anything about this is because we haven’t gone shouting it to the whole world. Second, the only people who know about this are me, you, the chief, and my people securing the scene, and it’s gonna stay that way if you want to keep your tongue inside your mouth, got it?” Kazuto nodded slowly. “Good. Lastly, you didn’t let me finish earlier. There haven’t been any witnesses until this murder. My boys found the previous two bodies on their patrols and only found this one because we got a call about a burglary in the complex and caught the perp trying to duck into the apartment to try and hide.” Kazuto took Asuna’s hand off of his mouth.

“Sounds like you’ve been extremely lucky.” It was Asuna’s turn to grimace as they resumed their descent.

“Too lucky,” she said sourly. “I got a feeling that this guy is toying with us.”

“How do you mean?” Kazuto asked. The two of them finally reached the bottom of the stairwell and exited the complex back into the night. Corporal Randy still stood guard outside even though the rain had solidified into a steady downpour. The corporal turned as he heard the pair approaching.

“All clear, Captain. Nobody’s come knocking to see what’s been going on so far. Did have a guy drop a message off for you, though.”

“A message? From whom?” Asuna asked. Kazuto rolled his eyes on reflex in response to Asuna’s immaculate grammar.

Randy shrugged as he produced a white envelope from the inside of his coat. “He didn’t say. I couldn’t really get a good look at his face under the hood he was wearing either. Mentioned it was for your eyes only though.” Kazuto immediately felt a sense of uneasiness wash over him.

“What exactly did this man say, Corporal?” Kazuto asked as Asuna opened the envelope.

“Just told me to give it to Captain Yuuki,” Randy replied. “Also mumbled something before he left. Sounded like ‘time is up’? I don’t know if he meant to say that to me though. He was definitely an odd one.”

Kazuto immediately whipped around to look up and down the street as his pulse skyrocketed.

“Kirito,” Asuna said “Do you know this person? Or what this symbol is?”

As he turned to look back at the paper Asuna was holding, a gust of wind snatched it out of her hand. Randy stooped down to pick it up.

“Oh, here you are, Captain. Don’t wanna lose tha-”

A shot cracked through the hiss of the falling rain ad Randy’s shoulder erupted in a shower of scarlet and the corporal was thrown to the ground. Randy cried out as Kazuto instinctively dropped into a crouch and dove at Asuna’s waist, knocking her down to the sidewalk as well. Staying low, he drug Randy and Asuna by the scruff of their necks to the shelter of Asuna’s cruiser. Pushing his own coat aside, he drew his .44 revolver and peered over the roof of the car.

Rain poured down onto the dark street, the shadows broken by the intermittent streetlamps. Kazuto searched the inky blackness for any signs of movement, but saw nothing.

“Clear,” he panted. “Shooter must’ve ducked right after firing." Asuna nodded an acknowledgement as she checked on Randy.

“Come on, Corporal, suck it up. Let me see what we’re working with.” She shucked the writhing man out of his coat. Randy sucked in a breath and groaned through clenched teeth as Asuna rolled his sleeve up to inspect the wound.

“Medium caliber, whatever it was.” she announced. “It’s a through and through. You got lucky it didn’t hit you anywhere important.” She grabbed his opposite hand and placed it over the wound. “Keep pressure on that and try your best to take slow deep breaths.” Randy’s face was pale, but he nodded weakly.

One of the two officers who had been stationed at the apartment burst through the front doors of the complex with his gun drawn and scanned the scene before him. He quickly holstered his weapon and met Asuna halfway as she stood the injured corporal up and braced him on her shoulder.

“See what the techs have to stabilize him while I radio for help. Anybody asks, there was a second burglar.”

“Yes, Captain,” the officer grunted as he helped Randy indoors. Asuna stood silently in the rain as she watched the two men enter the shelter of the building, then sighed and turned on her heel to make her way back to the cruiser. She opened the car door and picked up the radio.

“Dispatch, this is Car 10. Code 1100 on Adam 11 at King-3. Requesting medical aid. Scene is contained.” The radio squawked as multiple responders tried to answer. “Dispatch only!” Asuna barked into the receiver. “All shifts that are 10-8 remain on beat.” She shook her head as she released the transmission button. “God-damned rookies,” she grumbled under her breath.

“Car 10, this is Dispatch. Medical is en route to your location. 10-97 expected in five minutes.”

“10-4, Dispatch. 10-17 Adam 11 to nearest triage once stable.”

“10-4, Captain.”

“That’s gonna turn some heads,” Kazuto said as Asuna closed the car door. “Captain calling in an officer down and denying backup.”

“I said that the scene was contained,” she answered, leaning back against the car. “They know it means there are already officers on scene and it’s where the burglary was called in earlier. Most of them will probably think we found a second suspect while on that call.”

“Still, pretty risky for you, though,” Kazuto commented as he leaned against the car next to her. “You always planned everything out at the academy. Flying by the seat of your pants undercover like this has got to be a stretch for you.” He noticed the envelope and paper that Randy had dropped when he got shot and stooped to pick it up.

“It’s a lot more dangerous out here than the academy,” Asuna said. “A lot more goes wrong.” She glanced down at Kazuto, who was still kneeling on the wet sidewalk and staring intently at the piece of paper. “Oh, that. What does it mean?”

“It means,” Kazuto whispered “I’m finally going to get some answers.” The symbol on the paper grinned gruesomely back up at him; a skeleton’s smile that decorated an all-black rendering of a coffin. “Laughing Coffin has come out of hiding.”


	2. Black Cat Investigations

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm glad that everyone so far is so receptive of this piece! I'm really enjoying it, and you can count more coming on the way soon. Things are about to get real, story wise. Hold on folks, this chapter's gonna be a feelsy ride.

Kazuto hated the smell of hospitals. The overpowering stench of disinfectant always made him feel queasy. The uncomfortable stares of staff and passerby while he sat on the bench in the hallway didn’t help either. His long black duster dripped red-stained rainwater on the tiles of the floor as he waited.

“S-sir? You’re dripping blood everywhere.” He looked up at the meek nurse who was hiding the majority of her face behind the clipboard she was holding in her slightly trembling hands.

“It’s not mine,” he murmured. The nurse flinched at the sound of his voice, but she swallowed and stood her ground.

“Well y-yours or not sir, it’s a health hazard. You need to clean up,” she squeaked. Kazuto squinted at her through tired eyes before looking back down at the pinkish puddle slowly pooling at his feet then sighed and stood up.

“Alright,” he relented. “Where do I go?” The nurse blinked in surprise before gesturing to the nurse’s station further down the hall.

“We can help you down there actually.”

“Lead the way then.”

The nurse’s twin ponytails bobbed as she turned around and began marching her way down the hall. Kazuto quickly caught up to the shorter woman in no time, his long strides matching her pace effortlessly. When they arrived at the nurse’s station, nother nurse was waiting for them with a container of disinfectant wipes, a pair of latex gloves, and a red biohazard bag. The small nurse curtly donned the gloves and took a wipe into her hand before turning to face Kazuto.

“Please hold out your arms, sir,” the nurse commanded. Kazuto frowned but complied. The nurse proceeded to begin wiping down his coat, carefully placing dirty wipes into the bag her coworker had provided. Kazuto could feel her hands shaking as she cleaned Randy’s blood from the worn leather.

“What’s your name?” Kazuto asked. The sudden question made the nurse jump

“Ah, Silica. My name is Silica,” she replied.

“Thank you for cleaning me up, Silica. My name is-”

“Oh I know who you are!” Silica piped up. She blushed as she realized her error. “I’m sorry, I’m just excited is all. You’re all over the news, Mr. Kirigaya, sir.” Kazuto snorted softly.

“Can’t imagine why.” Silica looked up at him incredulously.

“What do you mean? You caught that sexual predator that’d been terrorizing the city for months just a few weeks ago!”

“I don’t know if I’d say he was a ‘predator’. More like a creep with a camera.”

“Still,” Silica persisted “It’s made a lot of women around here feel safer.”

“I suppose it’s worth it then,” Kazuto said as he watched Silica scrub at one particularly dense patch of gore on his shoulder. She swallowed thickly and turned rather pale as she carefully placed the wipe in the bag. “How long have you been a nurse at this hospital, Silica?”

“About a month,” Silica answered as she began to finish her cleanup by wiping down Kazuto’s back.

“And how long do you think can stay when you’re afraid of blood?” The hands on his back froze. “I’m just curious as to why someone who is afraid of blood would even take a job as a nurse.”

“I want to help people…” came the meek reply over his shoulder. “I’ve always been good at helping people, so this is how I help.”

“You know there are other ways you can help people, right? You could go to a soup kitchen, or donate to charity.”

“Yeah...but I like being personal about it. Something that I can commit to. Helping people smile, even when they are in pain...I feel happy doing it.”

“Even though it takes you into direct contact with your fear?” he asked softly.

“Y-yes.” Kazuto shrugged as Silica finished wiping up the blood from his coat and threw the last sanitizing towel away.

“Some people would say that’s stupid of you,” he said noncommittally. He saw her hands ball into fists and anger creep up her spine. “I’d call it brave, though.” The anger vanished.

“What? Me? Brave?” she stammered. Kazuto smiled gently as he inspected his coat to make sure no blood was still clinging to the leather. The duster was pristine and lemon fresh.

“Not all of us are called to be cops and private eyes you know. We need people to be brave enough to be nurses too.” He locked eyes with Silica, who was staring at him as if he had three heads. “Thank you for helping me.”

He turned and walked back to where he was sitting earlier to find Asuna waiting for him on the bench. She looked him over as she handed him a small white styrofoam cup.

“Glad you got cleaned up. You looked like some kind of psychopath just sitting there covered in  blood,” Asuna told him. “I took a guess on how you take your coffee.” Kazuto took the cup from her extended hand.

“Black,” he said flatly, looking into the cup.

“Just like everything else you have,” Asuna smirked. Kazuto shrugged and sipped at his drink.

“Thanks.”

“What’d you tell that nurse?” He glanced over at her.

“What nurse?” Asuna rolled her eyes.

“That one.” She nodded down the hall towards Silica, whose shoulders were shaking as she dabbed at her eyes with a tissue while a few other nurses comforted her. Kazuto could hear her sniffles echoing down the hall. “I saw her help clean you off, then you said something and she hasn’t stopped crying since.”

“Something she needed to hear, I guess.” He could feel Asuna staring at him. “How’s Randy?” Asuna sighed through her nose and took a swig of coffee.

“Cheerful and dedicated as ever, if not more so now. Idiot tried to salute me when I walked in and nearly yanked out his IV.” She shook her head. “Doctors say he should be cleared for duty in about five months if his recovery stays as it is now.” She took a slender finger off of her coffee cup ad pointed it at Kazuto. “He also told me to thank you for him.”

“Me? What for?”

“‘Hauling me out of the line of fire and protecting my captain,’” Asuna said in her best Randy impression. He also told me he thinks you’d make a good cop.” Kazuto smiled.

“I have authority issues,” he said.

“That’s what I told him.”

The two sat in silence for a long moment as the hospital moved around them; nurses bustling between rooms and visitors coming in and out of the doors to the wing. Their movements all seemed to blur together for Kazuto. He was only sharply aware of his own existence and Asuna’s presence next to him; a solid but somehow gentle anchor.

“I also, wanted to thank you,” Asuna murmured. “For having my back back there. Not a lot of people would have covered me like that.” Kazuto’s leg began bouncing up and down a a strange flash of tense energy came over him.

“Yeah, well...don’t mention it. I’m sure you would’ve done the same for me,” he told her. “Serve and protect and all that.”Asuna gave a breathless laugh.

“Yeah, yeah.”

Silence enveloped them again. Time and more people passed in a blur. Eventually, Kazuto finally spoke.

“I guess it’s time you knew everything.” Asuna looked at him apprehensively.

“Look, Kirito, I know your past still bothers you. You don’t have to tell me-” Kazuto was already shaking his head.

“This is bigger than opening old wounds now. Now we have a problem that needs action, and I’m the only one equipped well enough to prepare us for it.” Asuna regarded him with those serious copper eyes again.

“Alright,” she said. “What next?”

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

They drove back to the Lucky Dice again and climbed the stairs to Kazuto’s apartment. Asuna looked around the hallway as Kazuto fished the key out of his pocket.

“Looks sturdy,” she commented, taking notice of the industrial steel beams and intricate brickwork.

“Agil got the plot from the city actually,” Kazuto said absentmindedly. “Used to be an auto factory. He won it at an auction when he was looking for somewhere to put his bar. Place was scheduled for demolition, so he got it for a steal. Patched up a few things, did some renovation, and next thing you know, boom, he’s a landlord and a bar owner.”  He finally managed to find the right key on his key ring and unlocked the door, flipping the lightswitch on his way in.

Warm yellow light flooded the apartment as a lamp came to life on an end table in the main living space. The apartment was by no means luxurious, but it certainly was not shabby. A well-worn couch was set against the wall the door was on. In front of it, a rough oak coffee table sat in service. Across the room opposite from the couch sat a small TV set that was warbling out footage from some black and white romance film intercut every now and then with waves of static. To the right of the door loomed a mahogany door with a brass plaque attached to it that read _Black Cat Investigations_. Beyond the living area was the kitchenette. An overworked coffee pot gurgled on the countertop and beeped a complaint before falling silent. Kazuto strode through the room and switched the coffee pot off.

“More coffee?” he asked over his shoulder. Asuna, who was still standing by the doorway, glanced at the clock that was hanging over the TV and groaned when she saw that it was two in the morning.

“What I really need is a good night’s sleep,” she whined, rubbing at her face with weary hands. Kazuto chuckled as she removed her boots and coat by the door and perched herself on one end of the couch. The distressed leather smelled faintly of polish and to Asuna felt like a warm hug from an old friend. She let out a small sigh of relief as she relaxed more into the couch as Kazuto finished pouring and prepping two cups of coffee.

“No rest for the wicked,” he told Asuna as he handed her a mug. He flopped down on the other end of the couch and chugged his coffee. Asuna sipped from her mug and her eyebrows rose in surprise.

“Where did you learn how I take my coffee?” Kazuto spluttered and choked on his drink. After a fit of coughing, he scratched the back of his head sheepishly.

“It was part of your interview in the paper last month.” Asuna quickly brought the cup back up to her face to hide the blush that was rising to her cheeks.

“Ah, that silly thing. I didn’t think anybody still read the papers to be honest.”

“Well sometimes there’s stuff in there that interests me,” Kazuto mumbled defensively.

The two of them sat in quiet for a bit while the TV continued to play the romance film. The protagonist of the film was telling the female lead that he loved her before going into the final scene against a villain that outclassed him by miles.

“What an idiot,” she whispered to herself as she shook her head. She glanced over at Kazuto to find his dark eyes glued to the screen, a strange expression on his face. Asuna smiled. _Never marked him as a romantic_. Suddenly, the extent of the situation she was in dawned on her. Here she was, alone with a man in his apartment, late at night, curled up on his couch and watching old romance movies while sharing some coffee with him. She abruptly set her cup down on the coffee table and popped up to her feet. “We should probably get back to work,” she said brusquely. Kazuto blinked up at her slowly, coming out of his reverie.

“Uh, yeah. Guess we should.” He tossed back the remainder of his coffee and stood, then walked over to the big mahogany door that stood in the corner.

Asuna followed close behind him. She saw him flinch as his fingers came into contact with the big brass doorknob. She also saw his shoulders sag slightly and heard a small pained sigh escape from his mouth. He twisted the handle and pushed the door open.

“Come on in,” he said softly, flipping a switch on a wall.

A banker’s lamp flickered dimly to life on the desk in the center of the room. The desk was covered in massive stacks of paper, most of which were stained with coffee rings, while others were wrinkled, as if they’d been balled up and thrown then smoothed out again. An ashtray next to the lamp still smoldered as one last dying ember dutifully produced a thin ribbon  of smoke amongst the ash heaps and ground out butts that littered the tray. Kazuto went over and doused the the ember with the few remaining drops of coffee that remained in the bottom of his mug. Asuna would have reprimanded him for smoking had she not been so focused on what else was in the room.

Five empty desks ran along the four walls that surrounded Kazuto’s island study. Dust and stray cigarette ash lay thick on the varnished wood. Cobwebs covered the lamps that stood unused on each desk next to brass name plates. Asuna silently tread her way around the room, her footsteps muffled by the thick carpet as Kazuto rummaged through his desk, muttering to himself.

“Ducker,” she murmured as she picked up and read the first brass name plate.

Behind her, Kazuto froze perfectly still as he was hunched over his desk.

She put the name plate back down where it had been and moved to the next desk. “Sasumaru.” Again she moved. “Tetsuo.” Again.

The wood of Kazuto’s desk creaked a complaint as his hands clenched.

“Keita.” Asuna moved to the last desk. The only difference from the others was a small picture frame that was obscured by dust. She gingerly picked up the frame and brushed the viewing window clean with the back of her hand.

The picture revealed six people sitting in the same office she was standing in. Four people filled the desks that now stood vacant. Two brown-haired men were toasting in the back of the picture. A tall, lean redheaded man looked to be reprimanding them good-naturedly, shaking a stack of manilla folders in their direction. A blonde man in a knit hat dozed contentedly on his desk, drool forming a small puddle on the desktop. Kazuto sat in the center of the frame at his desk, looking up at the camera with an unflattering confused expression. Lastly, a woman with blue hair and eyes grinned at the bottom of the frame, only half of her body visible as the edges of the photo cropped the rest of her out.

Asuna carefully replaced the picture frame and ran her eyes over the last name plate. “Sachi.” She jumped as Kazuto’s mug shattered against a wall. She whirled around to face him only to find his back to her on the opposite side of the room, his shoulders shaking with effort as he tried to breathe without shuddering. “Kirito! I’m sorry, I-”

“Shut up,” he rasped, voice hoarse with emotion. “Just shut up for a second.”

Asuna opened her mouth to apologize again, but quickly clamped it shut. She watched him bow his head and take several deep breaths through his nose. Each time he exhaled, the shakiness lessened until he stood as still as a statue. They stood rooted in place like that for several moments sa the rain came down outside, whispering against the window panes of the next room.

“How much do you know?” Kazuto whispered. Asuna swallowed hard.

“I was on assignment in Glocken when it happened, so I didn’t get all of the details. Just that you lost…” she cast her eyes around the dark, desolate room. “Everyone.” She saw Kazuto nod slowly in the dim light of the lamp on the desk.

“Yeah. Everyone.” He lifted his head to turn and look at Ducker’s desk. “Ducker had been working on a string of missing persons cases. Always came up empty.” His eyes flickered over to the next desk. “Sasumaru felt bad for the guy, so he looked at the case files with new eyes. Spotted some similarities.” He turned his head again to look at the other desks. “Tetsuo cross referenced what they found against a city map and the physical descriptions of the missing persons with some Does at the morgue.” He clenched his fists so hard that his knuckles popped. “Exact matches. All of the locations that they were last seen at and where the bodies were found made a pattern.”

Asuna glanced at a bulletin board that hung over one of the desks. Pins and red strings of yarn connected over a map of Aincrad to form a crude but unmistakable shape. “A coffin,” she whispered.

“It was one point away from being completed,” Kazuto continued. “The guys were chomping at the bit to go where the last point would appear. Thought they might catch the perp in the act.” He shook his head. “I was skeptical. But… Sachi said she wanted to go too. They’d made their minds up.”

“What about Keita?” Asuna asked.

“He was looking at getting us a larger office space in Alfheim at the time. The rest of the team didn’t want to wait. So… we didn’t.”

The wind outside picked up, moaning eerily in the alleyway. Kazuto finally turned to face Asuna. The weak green light of the lamp made him look unnaturally pale. When she looked into his eyes, she thought they looked like abandoned coal mines: dark, hollow, and devoid of life.

“It was a trap,” he whispered, voice still hoarse. “Map led us down an alleyway. All there was at the far end was some poor son of a bitch with his face frozen in this demented smile with a knife sticking out of his chest. There was a note tied to the handle.”

“What did it say?” Kazuto’s eyes shifted a fraction of an inch away from Asuna’s and to her it looked like he was staring at something a million miles away.

“Time’s up.” Thunder rumbled outside. Kazuto looked back into Asuna’s eyes. “Ducker went to take the knife out, and that’s when it happened.”

“What?” Asuna whispered breathlessly. “What happened?” Kazuto shook his head slowly and closed his eyes as his shoulders sagged.

“Bomb,” he finally said. “The body was a damn bomb, and I knew something was wrong the second we saw it.” He took another shaky breath and continued on. “The explosion knocked me out when it threw me against a wall. When I came to…” Tears began to silently slide down his cheeks. “Ducker had been ripped apart by the blast. Sasumaru’s neck broke when he got thrown against a dumpster. Tetsuo caught some shrapnel in the leg. Nicked the artery. Bled out in minutes. But Sachi..” He clenched his jaw so hard Asuna could hear his teeth grind. “She managed to turn away from the blast since we were near the mouth of the alley...which meant she didn’t see the fucking knife coming at her at a hundred miles an hour.” He choked back a sob. “I woke up in time to see her die. Blade caught her in the spine so she couldn’t move from the neck down. I opened my eyes and all I could see was her turning her head to smile at me. Do you know what her last words were?” He laughed mirthlessly. “Thank you! She thanked me and then died like a dog in an alley! How fucked is that?”

“Kirito…” Asuna said, taking a half step towards him, her hand reaching out.

“That’s not even the worst part!” Kazuto shouted. “I was lying in a hospital bed after watching my all of my friends die and Keita comes in!” He turned away from Asuna again, his voice dropping to a whisper again. “No, the worst part is when Keita looked me in the eyes and told me it was my fault. And he was right.” The tension dropped out of Kazuto’s stance. “He jumped off the bridge by the lake. Left a note saying he had no reason to go on, the usual stuff.” He shook his head slowly again. “All gone,” he murmured. “And all because of me.” He stumbled forward as Asuna ran across the space between them and crushed him in a bear hug from behind. “Asuna? What-”

“Just shut up for a second and let me talk,” she said quietly, her voice muffled by his duster. “It wasn’t your fault. You were just doing your job. The others knew the risks when they signed up.” Kazuto was quiet for a moment.

“Doesn’t change the fact they’re gone.”

“No,” she went on “It doesn’t. What we can change, though, is the fact that we can bring the people responsible to justice. That we can make tomorrow better.” Asuna squeezed him hard enough to make his ribs hurt. “You don’t have to live alone in this hurt anymore.” Kazuto slowly lifted his eyes and looked around the room for what felt like the first time in a very, very long time.

“Not alone anymore,” he repeated, his voice hollow. He stood silent for another reflective moment. “Kind of sounds nice, I guess.” He heard Asuna breathe a sigh of relief and felt her arms release him. His hand twitched in a second of indecision before flickering out and grabbing her wrist. “Hold it.” He spun around and snaked his arms around her waist and embraced her, resting his chin on her shoulder.

Asuna jolted in surprise and after a moment of hesitation, wrapped her arms around his neck and returned the embrace tightly.

Kazuto took her presence in like a sponge. Despite the chill of the night outside, she was warm against him. Her hair was still damp from the rain and plastered along the curve of her neck. Her slender figure felt toned with shapely muscle beneath his hands. What surprised him the most however, was the sweet scent of perfume that clung to her skin. A strange tension grabbed at his heart as he breathed in the heady smell of jasmine and vanilla. For some reason he found himself unable to catch his breath. Then Asuna loosened her arms and the moment was over. The two stepped back and regarded each other with uncertain eyes.

“Thanks,” he said, finally. “For that.” Her bronze eyes searched his face for the span of a few heartbeats.

“You would have done the same for me,” she answered softly. Kazuto felt his face heat up as he stepped to the side and skirted around her to reach the stack of papers he’d been assembling on the desk and sorted through them noisily. He cleared his throat.

“It’s late,” he said gruffly. “We’re practically useless like this.” Asuna gave a tired chuckle.

“You’re so right. I should be going.”

“Let me walk you out.” She smiled quietly as they walked to the front door.

“And they say that chivalry is dead.” He snorted as she donned her boots and coat.

“Oh yeah, you know I know how to show a lady a good time. Take them back to my place, give them some crummy coffee, have a breakdown, then kick them out. My mother raised me right..” The self-deprecating dig drew a genuine giggle out of Asuna as they walked down the stairs and out to her cruiser. The insufferable rain still hadn’t let up, forcing them to hurry to the car. Kazuto pulled his duster up over his head as Asuna got in the car. She fired up the engine and rolled down the window.

“Thanks again for the coffee,” she said, looking up at him. “And for helping with the case. I know it’s a lot for you.” He shook his head.

“No, thank you. I have a chance to get some closure, not to mention justice for my friends.” She looked down and nodded to herself. “Drive safe alright? The roads are terrible.” She glanced up at him and favored him with another small smile.

“Will do. You get some rest. You look like hell.”

“You always know what to say to make me feel better, huh?” Asuna raised an eyebrow.

“When did you grow a sense of humor?” Kazuto gave her a sly grin.

“Oh, probably around the same time you decided to start wearing perfume.” Her delicate lips separated as her jaw dropped and her eyes widened.

“It was a gift!” she blurted out. She turned and fiddled with the AC knobs on her dash, then shifted the car into reverse. “I really do need to get back. My friend is crashing at my place while her apartment is being renovated, and she’ll start to worry. She’s probably already worried as it is. I’ll see you tomorrow. I mean, I have to stop by the station first and report into the chief. About the case. Anyway, see you tomorrow.” She rolled the window up and began to back out of her parking space, but stopped, then cracked her window. Her voice was just barely audible over the pitter-patter of the rain and the throaty rumble of the engine. “You sure you’re okay with this? There’s no going back starting tomorrow.” He sighed through is nose.

“”Yeah. No matter what, it’ll be worth it.” Her knuckles creaked on the leather of the steering wheel as she stared ahead. She nodded again.

“Goodnight then.”

“Goodnight, Asuna.” She rolled up the window, backed out of her spot and sped down the street into the night. Kazuto stood on the sidewalk hunched under his coat and watched her go. “Maybe in more ways than one.”


	3. Memories, Good and Bad

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Back into the swing of things now that I've got some more free time! Expect some more frequent updates to all my stuff!

Asuna pulled into the driveway of her small townhome and cut the engine. She sat in the silence that the purring engine had left, listening to the motor click sporadically as it spun down while the rain hammered on the roof of the car. She stared at her hands, still clutching the steering wheel and recalled the sensation of embracing Kazuto. Despite his lanky build, she had been surprised at how substantial he felt. Even through the thick leather of his duster, she could feel rigid skeins of whipcord-like muscle that clung to his lean frame. A part of her began to wonder what he might look like without a shirt, but she shook her head violently and got out of the car before her brain could take her down any similar rabbit holes. She hustled up the walk, unlocked the front door and stepped inside. She let out a small sigh of relief as she locked the door behind her and hung her coat on the nearby hook.

Footsteps pounded on the hardwood floors behind her and she turned around in time to be crushed in a rib-breaking hug.

“Asuna!! There you are!” Asuna grunted and rolled her eyes as she pried her friend off of her.

“Yeah, Liz. I’m back. You can let go now.” The over-affectionate offender, Lisbeth, reluctantly released Asuna, but stared at her suspiciously.

“You’re home three hours late, and you smell like-” Lisbeth leaned in close to Asuna. “-Leather… coffee….-” Her nose wrinkled. “- And cigarettes?! What have you been up to?” Asuna shouldered Lisbeth aside as she marched further into the house to her bedroom.

A soft white bulb sprang to life as she entered and began to unbutton her uniform. The room was done gentle pastels and whites. Her bed occupied the central space and a spartan white desk stood in the corner next to her closet. She folded up her uniform shirt and pants and hung them back up in the closet,  taking care not to wrinkle the material. She crossed over to her dresser and donned a loose fitting pair of sweatpants as Lisbeth peeked her head into the room.

“You didn’t answer my question,” Lisbeth told her reproachfully. Asuna glared at her as she unhooked her bra beneath her tank top and tossed the article in a nearby hamper.

“If you must know, I was working a case when one of my men got shot.” Lisbeth’s eyebrows furrowed together.

“He make it out alright?” Asuna huffed out a sigh and sat down at the edge of the bed.

“Yeah, he’s fine.” Lisbeth padded into the room and flopped down in the swivel chair in front of the desk.

“I’m surprised someone was able to get the drop on you guys with Sinon there.” Asuna grimaced.

“Actually, Sinon wasn’t there this time. She’s doing some marksmanship competition over in Glocken.” 

“The chief put you on assignment without a partner?”

“You know he’d never do that,” Asuna snorted.

“Who’d he stick you with then?” Asuna’s gaze slowly drifted to the floor.

“He actually gave me my pick of whomever I wanted, since I’m working a special case and all.” Lisbeth leaned forward, propping her arm on the chair as she rested her chin on her palm. 

“So who’d you pick?” Asuna’s shoulder slumped in defeat.

“Kazuto Kirigaya.” Lisbeth’s jaw dropped open.

“The Shadow?!”

“The one and only.” Lisbeth squealed and kicked her legs.

“You have to tell me what he’s like! He didn’t talk much when he came into the shop-”

“Hold on,” Asuna interjected. “He came into your shop?” Lisbeth waved a hand dismissively.

“Wanted some custom work done on his revolver. Who still uses one of those anyway? But that’s besides the point. Is he really intense as everyone says?” Asuna’s mind drifted back to the events outside of the apartments and in Kirito’s office.

“He can be,” she replied quietly. “He is refreshingly blunt, as well. Doesn’t care that I’m captain of APD, or that my father is some big business tycoon. To him, I’m just...me.”

“Wow, never would’ve guessed all of that just looking at the guy,” Lisbeth said. “Wearing all black makes him spooky enough, but how quiet he is really is unsettling. And don’t even get me started on those eyes!” She shuddered in her chair. “He’s definitely seen some scary stuff.” Asuna’s mind flashed to the image of Kazuto’s eyes in that pale green light.

“Yeah,” she agreed. “He really has.”

“I’d love to see him in action though,” Lisbeth went on. “You always see the guys he hauls off the street scared stiff in their mugshots. I wonder what he does to terrify some of those hardened ex-cons so bad.”

“It’s the way he fights,” Asuna said quietly. “It’s violent. Vulgar, even. So fast that if you blink, you can miss it. And yet, it’s poetry.” Lisbeth drew her knees up to her chin.

“No way, seriously?” Asuna nodded solemnly.

“I wouldn’t believe it if I hadn’t seen it with my own eyes. Even when I did, I remember being blown away.”

“When was that? The first time you saw him fight?” 

“A long time ago, back in training at the academy…”

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

“Alright, cadets! Listen up!” Major Heathcliffe’s pointer rapped hard against the blackboard at the front of the classroom. “Today’s lesson will deal with teamwork and tactics. You will all be assigned a partner to take on a random tactical situation and will be assessed on your physical ability, reflexes, teamwork, and effectiveness in resolving your situations.”

Asuna’s eyes scanned the classroom as the other cadets murmured amongst themselves while Heathcliffe read out who was being paired up with whom. She had already begun weighing the pros and cons of each of her classmates when the major threw her a curveball.

“Cadet Yuuki and Cadet Kirigaya.”

Her eyes widened, then flickered over to the back of the classroom to the young raven-haired man sitting by the window. He evenly met her eyes without flinching. She spun back around to face the front as Major Heathcliffe began to wrap up.

“You and your partners will be contacted with your situation and location. Examinations begin at 1200 hours. Dismissed.”

Asuna rose from her desk and turned around to march over to Kazuto to already to already find it empty. She stomped her foot in frustration.

“Looks like you’re in for an interesting time,” a voice told commented from beside her. Asuna glanced over to find Sinon standing there, arms folded over her chest as she stared out the door alongside her.

“What do you mean?” Sinon looked at her sideways.

“Kirigaya, obviously. The guy’s a wild card.” Asuna’s eyebrows scrunched together.

“How do you mean?”

“Nobody’s really gotten a read on the guy. All the teamwork-optional assignments he’s done solo. Doesn’t really associate with anyone in the academy either. Spends most of his time in the gym and at the range.”

“What’s his piece?”

“Favors the .44.”

“Huh,” Asuna grunted. “Big gun.” Sinon gave her a wicked little grin.

“Think he’s overcompensating?” 

“Not likely, otherwise he’d be slinging one of those .45’s with the 14 clip magazines like half of the neanderthals around here.” Sinon yielded with a nod.

“True.”

“He’s always scored pretty high on the written exams,” Asuna continued as the two of them exited the classroom and made their way back to the barracks.

“Not as well as you though.”

“Written exams aren’t difficult, you just need to pay attention. He a decent shot?” Sinon shrugged.

“His grouping is good from what I’ve seen when we’ve been firing at the same time.”

“I just wish I had more of an idea of the guy’s personality,” Asuna grumbled. “I need to know what to expect out of him if I’m supposed to make a plan.”

“What’s your situation anyway?” Sinon asked as they entered their bunkroom. Asuna noticed a sealed envelope addressed to her lying on her pillow and quickly ripped it open, scanning her eyes of its contents.

“Active bomb defusal and retrieval in a hostile controlled area,” she announced. Sinon’s eyebrows rose.

“Talk about a shit show.”

“No kidding,”Asuna said. “Not only will we have to worry about hostiles, but we also will have to deal with that bomb.”

“What’s your location?” Asuna eyes scanned further down the document.

“Warehouse A.” Sinon gave a low whistle.

“And close quarters to boot. Feels like the major is really testing two of you.” Asuna pursed her lips and looked out the window in the direction of the warehouse.

“Well then, let’s give him a show.”

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

Asuna stood in the summer sun outside of the warehouse, checking her watch irritably. Her gray and red combat fatigues chafed her skin in the heat and bugs buzzed around her head.

“Come on, already. Where are you?” Finally, she saw a dark figure make its way out from under the shade of the trees that flanked the walkway.

Kazuto walked up next to her and stared up at the warehouse. “So, what’s the plan?”

“You’re late,” Asuna told him sharply. His eyebrows furrowed slightly in annoyance.

“Actually, I’m on time. Hopefully whatever you’ve got cooked up doesn’t rely too heavily on timing, because apparently that is not your forté.”

Asuna felt herself flush and opened her mouth to set him straight when she was interrupted by a golf cart trundling its way up the path and whipping around to a stop in front of them.

“Cadets!” Major Heathcliffe's voice boomed as he dismounted to the cart. Asuna and Kazuto quickly snapped to attention. “At ease,” Heathcliffe ordered. “And catch.” He flung something at each of them. Kazuto caught the object with a grunt and Asuna’s eyebrows rose as she recognized her .38 Special in its holster belt.

“Major? Are we using live rounds?” she asked, voice tinged with concern. Heathcliffe tilted his head back and gave a hearty laugh.

“As much as it would simplify dealing with some of your more…..challenging peers, no.” He flourished a small silver tube that ended in a short plume of red feathers. “Special darts that have been modified to fire from each of your weapons with as much realistic recoil as our ballistics techs could muster. You’ll find your “hostiles” similarly armed. Depending on where they hit, you could be incapacitated in a matter of seconds. If both of you become incapacitated, you fail. If you do not complete the objective in time, you fail. Any questions?”

“Anything goes?” Kazuto’s voice called out. Heathcliffe’s steel grey eyes glinted like gunbarrels.

“This is a hostile held building, Cadet Kirigaya. Take every advantage you can.” With that, the major turned, got back on his cart and sped away. Asuna and Kazuto turned to face each other.

“So,” Kazuto repeated. “What’s your plan?” Asuna huffed through her nose as she strapped her holster on.

“Intelligence reports provided with our situation debriefing say that the bomb is most likely at the center of their defenses. I’ll go left after we go in and come at them from the side. You go right and flank them.” Kazuto nodded slowly.

“Makes sense, but what if something goes wrong?” She shook her head.

“Statistically, highly improbable. Between us having the intel we do, and our skill levels, we should be able to handle anything that comes our way.” Kazuto still looked unconvinced.

In the distance an air horn sounded, frightening a few crows from their perches.  They cawed indignantly while they flapped off into the distance.

“Time to start,” Asuna said. Together, the pair entered the access door and dove into the shadows of the warehouse.

 

Inside, it was cool and dark, the blackness resisted by a few defiant lights that cast rough pools beneath them. Asuna and Kazuto found themselves looking at a maze of shipping containers. Asuna grimaced. 

“This is going to take more time to navigate through. You’ll need to watch your corners,” she turned to tell Kazuto, only to find him scrambling up the side of a container and looking around, surveying the terrain. Asuna shivered as she realized she hadn’t heard him move even though he’d been standing right next to her.

“There’s still a fairly straightforward path around, but I can see a few hostiles patrolling. Looks like they’re wearing helmets and protective vests,” he whispered down. “You’re gonna have to aim for exposed areas.” Asuna nodded curtly.

“I’ll meet you at the center. Don’t make us look bad.” Kazuto’s eyebrow quirked up, but he said nothing before melting into the shadows.

Asuna exhaled and drew her .38, keeping it held low and steady as she padded forward. Peeking around the corner of a container, she saw one hostile making his way down an aisle of containers, his back turned toward her. From where she was, she could see the man wore a full helmet with mirrored glass obscuring his face all the way down to his chin, as well as a black tactical vest that bulged with the weight of protective ceramic plates along his chest and back. She took a breath to steady herself, then rounded the corner and aimed down her sights at the man’s exposed neck and squeezed the trigger. The dart exited the barrel with a loud  _ thok!  _ and buried itself in the pale flesh of the man’s neck. He let out a strangled gurgle as he reached up to try and pluck it out before finally collapsing on the ground. Asuna kept her gun trained on him as she warily approached, then bent down to check his pulse. She released a pent-up sigh as she found a slow but steady pulse. Readying her weapon again, she pressed on, deeper and deeper into the warehouse, picking off individual hostiles who crossed her path until at last she came to the center.

Dread roiled around in her stomach as she scanned the area. Four openings between  the containers dumped out into a square courtyard. Two guards flanked a raised dais that held the bomb in the center of the space. Her pulse spiked as she saw that they looked to be wielding automatic rifles.Her eyes continued to roam the area. She noticed that snipers patrolled makeshift parapets crafted from containers stacked two and three high around the courtyard. A handful more soldiers seemed to be engrossed in some kind of card game off to one side of the area and all of them had pistols within easy reach.

_This is a suicide mission_ , Asuna thought to herself. _A full squad would be hard pressed to go against this kind of firepower_. She scanned the area again. _No sign of Kirigaya_. Irritation creased her brow. _Jerk’s probably drooling in his sleep somewhere around here by now._ _Looks like it’s up to me._ She flexed her legs beneath her. _I’m gonna have to duck behind those crates on the left, out of line sight of those machine guns. Those guys at the table would probably end up taking too long on the draw, I could put a few of them down before they’ get set up, and by then I’d already be gone down the south corridor. That just leaves…_ Her eyes flickered up to the second row of containers. _Wait- weren’t there snipers up there just a second ago?_

Suddenly, a man’s scream rang out from the corridor off to her right, then fell silent. All of the men on the floor froze in place. The warehouse became pin-drop silent. Asuna heard the metallic clicks of safeties coming off as men at the table readied their pistols. A malevolent chuckle echoed in the shadows of the warehouse that made her hackles rise.

“Kirigaya….?” she whispered.

A helmet crashed down in the center of the card table and even as far away as she was, Asuna could see the visor spider-webbed with cracks.

“I call,” Kazuto’s voiced rang out. “Showdown time, boys.” A shadow dropped down out of the rafters like a bolt of lighting and smashed down onto the table, sending cards, men, and chips flying as the legs of the table splintered in a dull roar. Coming to his feet, Kazuto hefted his revolver and fired off six shots into the circle of men surrounding him in a matter of seconds, the darts flying from the gun with a muffled  _ wham!  _  as the hammer the came forward. His gun clicked empty and he bellowed like a beast gone mad and whipped the butt of his pistol into the temple of the nearest enemy and dropped the man cold.

Asuna’s jaw dropped as she watched in awe.  _ He’s an absolute madman! _

The hostiles had managed to gather themselves after the initial shock, but it didn’t help much. Two of the remaining four card players abandoned scrambling after their weapons and charged Kazuto with their fists raised. He welcomed their advance by holstering his weapon and dropping into a boxer’s stance. As he did, the guards standing by the bomb opened up with their machine guns. He stepped forward to meet the rush, narrowly avoiding being riddled with a salvo of darts. The first foe swung a wild hook at him and he stepped inside the blow, then devastated the man’s midsection with a series of short jabs that shattered the plates in the man’s vest. The man doubled over in pain and Kazuto whirled around to deliver a savage roundhouse kick that collapsed the poor sap’s kneecap. As he followed through, his eyes immediately locked on to Asuna in her hiding spot. Beneath a layer of bravado and concentration, she could see the urgency in his eyes.

_ Go!  _ He was telling her,  _ While they’re distracted!  _

Asuna sprang into action, her longs legs eating up the distance between her and the bomb. One of the heavily armed guards spotted her advancing and turned to gun her down but didn’t get far as Asuna lifted her pistol and fired off three precise shots that brought the brute down in a heap, the sound of her shots swallowed up in the din of the chaos to her right. She heard the  _ wham! wham!  _ of Kazuto’s revolver again. She dropped to a slide and snatched the bomb off the dais, ducking behind the pedestal as she inspected the device.

A small stopwatch ticked atop a bundle of “dynamite” and multicolored wire, a blinking red light indicating the explosive was still armed. Without hesitation, Asuna whipped out her penknife and severed the red and blue wires.

“Typical Type 2 arrangement,” she snorted as the light blinked green. “Amateur setup.” She turned her ear up as she clipped the device onto her belt and listened carefully. The sound of combat seemed to have died down somewhat. She slapped a fresh magazine into her gun and came out of cover.

Kazuto was still squaring off against a few last men. Easily a dozen men lay crumpled on the floor, some sporting thick darts in the chinks of their armor, others wearing bruises that were already purpling into ugly messes. Kazuto was not untouched however. His own face sported several bruises, blood poured out of a broken nose, and his right eye was black and swollen nearly shut. Despite his injuries, however, he still moved as lithe as a panther. Yet as Asuna moved around the boxes, she could tell he wouldn’t hold out much longer. His breath came in ragged gasps and his reactions, while still fast, were not as blindingly quick as they had been.

One of the remaining enemies feinted an uppercut, then swept Kazuto’s legs out from under him, sending him sprawling to the floor. The other two men rushed in, eager to stomp and kick to their hearts’ content when Asuna stepped in between them.

She looked straight into the visor of the closest enemy and emptied the entire clip of her gun into him. He fell like a dead tree as the next one pressed down on her. Slamming her pistol into its holster, she flattened her hands into spades and sent flickering strikes into the man’s pressure points, making him writhe in a rigid agony. She went on mercilessly, battering him in a flurry of thrown elbows and thrust knees that drove him to the floor in a mangled mess. She stood over him and made sure he didn’t get back up. She lifted her eyes to the last hostile that stood a few feet away from her, his fists shakily held up in front of him. She stared cooly into the mirrored glass of the visor as she took up a defensive stance.

“Next,” she growled. The helmeted head regarded her, then tilted down to look at Kazuto, who, despite the punishment he had taken, was still getting up. The man looked back up at her, then the man turned and ran away into the maze of containers. Asuna snorted, then relaxed out of her stace and rose to her full height. She turned and offered a hand to Kazuto, who was slowly trying to bring himself to his feet as he cradled one hand against his chest.

“I had it covered,” he grumbled as he took her hand.

“Oh you’ve definitely had it,” she told him as she pulled him up. “Can you walk?” He sniffed in disdain.

“Of course.” He took two steps and nearly fell over again as his knees gave out. Asuna rolled her eyes as she slid herself under Kazuto’s good arm and started walking him back to the entrance.

“This is what you get for being so reckless,” she told him matter-of-factly. “Jumping in the middle of them like that!” He looked at her out of the corner of his swollen eye.

“It worked, didn’t it?”

“Hardly!” she snapped at him. “Look at yourself!” Kazuto spat blood on the floor.

“S’not too bad,” he slurred, sagging against her more. “Shit, tranquilizers are really kicking in.”

“What?” Asuna said as she came to a stop at a crossroads in the maze of crates. “What tranquilizers?”

“Pocket,” he mumbled, head lolling forward. Asuna ripped open one of the Velcro pouches that adorned his fatigues to find what looked like close to a dozen tranquilizer darts gleaming dully in the dim light of the warehouse.

“Holy shit,” she breathed. “How the hell are you able to stand?”

“My hand? Broke it on the vest of one of the first ones. Luckily I’m ambdi-...adibe-....” He frowned. “Two handed.” He looked down at his injured hand, which had several odd bulges sticking out where they shouldn’t have been. “Ouch.”

“Oooookay, you’re slipping a bit. Not surprising seeing as how you’ve got enough drugs in you to put down a horse. Just stay with me, alright?”

“Roger that, Yuuki.”  Asuna laughed out loud. She just couldn’t help it.

“I’m dragging your broken, drugged ass out of a warehouse with a bomb attached to my belt. I think we’re past the formalities now. You can call me Asuna.”

“Okey-dokey. You can call me Kirito.” She glanced at the slouching figure next to her with mild worry.

“Uh, don’t you mean ‘Kazuto’?” He slowly shook his head, which made him wince.

“Nope. Kirito. It’s what my friends call me.” Asuna turned her head to look at him as she rounded the final corner before the exit. She took in his bloodied, beaten face and body, his ruffled hair, bloodshot eyes, and dopey but still mischievous grin.

“Friends, huh?” She smiled to herself as she opened the exit door of the warehouse and sunlight washed over them. “Yeah, I think we’ll be great friends.”

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

“Wow,” Lisbeth breathed. “Talk about made for each other!” Asuna felt heat rise to her face.

“What on earth are you talking about?” Lisbeth held her hands out in an exasperated gesture.

“Uh, hello? Uptight goody-two-shoes who plays it too close to the book and the rebel who takes any and all risks to get the job done?” She flopped back in her chair. “You couldn’t write this any better.”

“Excuse me?” Asuna demanded. “Goody-two-shoes?” Lisbeth’s face went deadpan as she reached to the desk next to her and opened the top drawer, picking up a display box that had its simple black frame nearly bursting at the seams with medals and commendation bars. Asuna snatched the box out of her hand put it back in the drawer.

“I bet you brought an apple for the teacher when you were in school,” Lisbeth said dryly.

“So I’ve won some awards, big deal,” Asuna growled. “That doesn’t prove anything about what you’re going on about.” Lisbeth smirked and put her hands up in surrender as she rose out of the chair and went to the door.

“Maybe, maybe not. But tell me this: if you could’ve had anyone, absolutely anyone, to have your back out there and be your partner, why was he your first choice?”

Asuna opened her mouth to give a withering retort, but hesitated as something stirred inside her.  _ Why him? _

“Cat got your tongue, eh?” Lisbeth teased waggling her eyebrows at Asuna. “I’ll let you sleep on it. Looks like you don’t quite know yourself, either.” With that, she hit the lightswitch, leaving only the orange street light filtering through the window to illuminate the bedroom. Asuna fell back on her bed and stared up at the ceiling as she shimmied under the covers.  _ Why do we always come back together? _

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

Kazuto watched the taillights of Asuna’s cruiser shrink into the distance until she turned off onto another street then sighed and trudged back up to his apartment. He unlocked the door again and entered, hanging his duster to dry before flopping down on the couch. He undid his boots with a weary sigh, then leaned his head back and shut his eyes.

“Shit,” he mumbled to himself. “Forgot to add the autopsy reports to my notes for Asuna.” Hefting himself up, he crossed the apartment and opened the office door. He moved over to the desk, then plopped down into his creaky chair as he began looking for reports.

A gentle rap at the door made his brow furrow.  _ Agil should be at home with his wife by now, not babying me. _ He slowly straightened in his chair and eased his revolver out of its holster. “Come in,” he called.

The door handle rattled, then turned and the door swung open to reveal a tall, gaunt figure, silhouetted by the light from the living room. 

“Office is closed pal, Come back in the morning,” Kazuto told the man coldly.

The figure made no sound except for the splash of rainwater that dripped onto the floor. The shadow stepped forward, making an odd squelching sound as it did. The latch on the office door clicked shut at the same time that the hammer on Kazuto’s revolver cocked back.

“Come any closer and you’re going to find out what it feels like to get a nose piercing at roughly a thousand miles per hour,” he warned softly.

The figure continued its silence as it took another squelching step forward and entered the light. Kazuto’s arm went slack.

“Keita?”

The gangly red headed man stood before him, positively soaked from head to toe in water. He reeked of fish and low tide; seaweed clung to his shoulders like a mantle. His skin was sickly pale and his eyes were glazed and bloodshot. When he opened his mouth to speak, water gushed out.

“Failure,” he gurgled. “All your fault.” Kazuto reeled back in his chair, hands trembling as he lay the gun on the desk.

“No, not all of it,” he whispered. “Those damn psychopaths. They did this.” He put his head in his hands. “I still blame myself though. I wanted to protect all of you.” He looked back up at Keita. “I’m sorry I lost them.” Keita regarded him in silence, then abruptly transformed into a pillar of water that sloshed to the floor. Kazuto blinked and then three figures stood before him.

Ducker balanced on one charred leg. His blond hair was burnt down to stubble along the right side of his head and teeth shined in a skeletal smile through what remained of his blasted face.

Sasumaru stood next to him, his body and clothes singed but still mostly intact, save for his neck, which was canted to a sickening angle.

Last was Tetsuo, garbed in gore. Blood spurted from a massive gash in his leg, painting his pants crimson and pooling on the floor.

“Fool,” rasped Ducker. “Trying to take on more than you could handle.”

“Coward,” croaked Sasumaru. “Letting those close to you die rather than yourself.”

“Laggard,” hissed Tetsuo. “Putting off avenging us for so long.”  Kazuto slowly ran his eyes over each of their faces, soaking in their cloudy, dead eyes. He bowed his head.

“You’re right. I’m sorry.” When he lifted his head again, he no longer saw the ghastly trio, but felt an invisible hand squeeze his heart as he locked gazes with a pair of soft blue eyes.

“Liar.” Sachi gave him a melancholy smile. She wore a pristine blue suit, her shirt, jacket and skirt the color of a clear summer sky. Her visage was only marred by a short length of pure black metal that protruded from between her collarbones. “You said you’d never forget us.”

Kazuto slowly rose from his desk and walked over to her. She continued to give him that bittersweet smile. He took a deep breath ad placed his hands on her shoulders. She felt solid, like a real person, but was as cold as ice. A wave of emotion swelled in him and he wrapped her in a crushing embrace, grunting as the tip of the knife buried itself like an icepick in his heart.

“I could never forget you,” he whispered. “But...I do have to let you go.” In one fluid motion, he moved his hand up to the handle of the knife in her back and pulled it out, hissing at the pain in his chest. As the blade cleared her body, he felt her stiffen, then relax against him.

“I know it hurts,” she whispered back. “But now you can heal.” He felt her arms wrap around his back, a gentle pressure that somewhat eased the throbbing in his chest and then she was gone.

 

Kazuto woke up with a start, sucking in air like he had been suffocating. As he looked around, he saw he was still seated on his couch in the living room. “A dream,” he panted. “Just a dream.”

He glanced up at the clock and saw it was eight in the morning. Running a quick hand through his hair, he changed clothes and splashed some water on his face before tossing on his duster and boots. He dashed to the door and as he was about to shut it, he paused and looked back.

“Goodbye,” he said to the empty apartment. Then, after feeling a little foolish, he closed the door and exited into the early morning, where he noticed that even though the sky was still grey and cloudy, the rain seemed to have stopped, if only for a moment.

 


	4. A Revelation

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Again, apologies for the delay in updating. Who knew the last semester of college would be so demanding? Good news though! I already have most of the next chapter already written, so expect another update rather soon! As always, thank you for reading and be sure to leave your thoughts, comments, and kudos. Enjoy!

Kazuto grimaced as the wind picked up, carrying the rain that had dutifully resumed falling into the meager shelter of the Central Aincrad Police Department building. He shifted on the bench he was sitting on, carefully adjusting his duster so that the small paper bag and two paper cups that sat next to him would be protected from the weather. Once he had made sure that his cargo was safe, he fidgeted with his shiny and rarely used official detective badge, making sure it was clearly visible from its perch on his lapel. The silver shield gleamed like a beacon even in the murky sunlight that filtered through the clouds. He closed his eyes and leaned his head back, taking in the soft sounds of the rain. Even through the background noise, he could still hear the whispers of officers and visitors who passed him by.

“It’s him…!”

“......Pretty scary looking..”

“Isn’t that the guy…?”

“Yeah, only survivor…”

“I saw him at a bar with the captain last night!”

“What? No, you’re crazy. The captain won’t even get drinks with her own squad, why the hell would she go out with him?”

A low rumble rose out of Kazuto’s throat as he opened one and glared balefully at the issuer of the last comment. The woman, who looked to be a dispatch receptionist by the looks of her uniform, squeaked as she realized that he had heard her and hustled inside. A flicker of satisfaction warmed his core as he closed his eyes again and resumed waiting.

A few more quiet minutes passed before Kazuto heard the dull roar of Asuna’s cruiser come prowling up the street and purr to a stop in her reserved spot. Metal groaned as her door swung open, then slammed shut. Her heeled boots clicked on the asphalt as she sped up the walk to escape the rain then skidded to a halt as she spotted him.

“Kirito! What are you doing here?” Kazuto lifted his head and opened his eyes. She stood in front of him, her white uniform crisply ironed beneath her red overcoat, a vivid splash of color against the gray palette of the city. Her copper eyes shined with surprise and curiosity. Kazuto simply returned her gaze for brief moment contentedly before he blinked and remembered that he had been asked a question.

“Coming with you to report in of course,” he replied as he rose from the bench, concealing his goodies in his duster. “We’re partners after all.” Asuna’s eyebrows rose as she gave him a grin.

“And early to boot? I’m simply astonished.” They entered the building and made their way to the elevator behind the front desk.

“Not just early,” Kazuto said as he pushed the call button. “But bearing gifts as well.” The elevator doors dinged then softly slid open. After they stepped inside, he removed a paper cup and bag from his voluminous pockets and proffered them to Asuna. “Coffee, just the way you like it and a croissant from Phillipe’s over on Third.”

“You’re a saint,” Asuna told him as she gratefully took the precious cargo from him. “But how did you manage to get these so early? Phillipe never opens before eleven even if the mayor wants to make a visit.” Kazuto shrugged as the doors slowly began to close.

“They owe me a favor.”

“Either way, it’s appreciated. I woke up late and I missed breakfast.”

She quickly lifted the cup to her lips and took a swig of the coffee, heaving a pleased sigh through her nose as the dark liquid revived her weariness. She then opened the bag and ravenously tore into the croissant. Relief spread across her face, before a puzzled expression, followed by pure bliss. She quickly gulped down two more bites before turning to look at Kazuto.

“How in the hell did you convince them to put chocolate chips in Phillipe’s recipe? That old geezer said he’d die before changing his grandmother’s teachings.” Kazuto allowed himself a small smile as he lifted his own cup to his lips for a sip.

“It was a big favor,” he said slyly. Asuna smiled and rolled her eyes before biting off another chunk of the croissant, rapturous satisfaction gracing her face again.

“Fucking marry me then, because I can’t go back to eating the normal ones again,” she sighed after swallowing. “Phillipe would have to make an exception then.” Kazuto laughed to cover up a strange clenching sensation in his stomach.

“I’m sure if you asked, he’d be happy to accommodate you,” he told her.

“No way,” she replied shaking her head. “You get special treatment because you’re a celebrity.”

“Me? A celebrity? Please. You’re the captain of APD who’s been valiantly cleaning up the streets and telling evildoers everywhere to beware. I’m surprised you don’t get mobbed every time you’re off duty.”

“Hardly,” Asuna scoffed. “If I’m not in uniform, nobody pays me a lick of attention.”

“Really? That’s surprising.”

“What makes you say that?” she asked as she went to finish off the last of her impromptu breakfast.

“You’re beautiful, obviously,” Kazuto replied on reflex. He went to sip his coffee when what he had said fully registered in his mind. His eyes slid over to Asuna. She was frozen as still as a statue, her teeth clamped onto the last bite bit of pastry, her eyes fixated directly on his face.

“Wha di ou thay?” she asked through a mouthful of food.

Abruptly, the elevators dinged and slid open to reveal a tall, mountain-like man in a red and white uniform trimmed with gold thread. Cool steel eyes regarded the pair with a passive amusement. Asuna quickly gulped down the rest of the food and stood to attention.

“Chief Heathcliffe! Good morning, sir. We were just on our way to see you.” Heathcliffe inclined his head a fraction of an inch.

“Impeccable timing as always, Captain Yuuki.” The chief’s eyes swept over to Kazuto and he raised a craggy eyebrow. “And Detective Kirigaya. I must admit, it is rather surprising to see you here.” Kazuto shrugged.

“I’m just here to support my partner.” Heathcliffe’s lips twitched.

“Naturally. I trust you have news for me regarding your investigation?”

“We do, sir,” Asuna replied.

“We shall discuss it in my office then. Come along.”

The duo trailed behind the chief’s wake as he coolly strode through the main office space. Dozens of eyes flitted up from computers and case files; conversations stopped and people stopped clacking on their keyboards as everyone paused to watch them all go. Finally, Heathcliffe reached his office door and opened it, allowing Asuna and Kazuto to enter. Once they had, he cast a glance back over his shoulder and everyone immediately snapped out of their reverie and jumped back into their duties. Closing the door, he glided over to his desk and eased into his chair.

“So,” he said, looking at them over steepled fingers. “Bring me up to speed.”

Asuna did just that, going over the events that had occurred, starting with her bringing Kazuto onto the case, his thoughts and the information he had shared in regards to the crimes at the scene, the shooting outside of the apartment complex, Randy’s status, and what information she was still waiting to hear back on.

Kazuto noted that she was careful to leave out their interactions at his apartment. He glanced at her out of the corner of his eye, sending her a wordless thanks. She caught his look and gave an almost imperceptible nod. He thought he saw something flash across her face, but he couldn’t quite make out what. After she had finished, Heathcliffe regarded them for another few silent moments, eyes unreadable.

“It would seem,” he said after what seemed an eternity, “That I owe you a great deal of thanks, Detective.”

“It’s nothing, sir,” Kazuto answered gruffly, unsettled by the sudden praise.

“Saving the life of not only one of my officers but also my captain as well hardly constitutes ‘nothing’, Detective. In fact, it’s quite something.” Heathcliffe’s fingers drummed on the plate glass of the top of his desk. “I’m certain that the mayor would agree.” Kazuto blinked.

“The mayor?”

“I know for a fact he’d give you an award for it.”

“I’m not so sure I’d want all of that,” Kazuto said uncertainly as he took half-step backwards towards the door.

“It really isn’t so bad,” Asuna told him reassuringly. “It’d just be a brief news conference, you’d get your award, snap a picture with the mayor, and then it’s all over.”

“At least, that’s how it’d normally go,” Heathcliffe interjected. “You are forgetting a rather important event tomorrow evening, Captain.” Asuna’s hand flew to her forehead.

“Oh _shit._ ” Heathcliffe looked at her with a slightly affronted expression. “I mean, of course, sir.”

“What’s tomorrow?” Kazuto demanded as he looked between the two of them.

“The Mayor’s Ball,” Asuna said, her lips set in a grim line. “One of the biggest press events of the year.”

“Maybe we could reschedule?” Kazuto asked weakly.

“Oh I’m afraid it won’t be that simple,” Heathcliffe cut in again. Kazuto could have sworn there was a note of amusement in his voice. “You must be aware that you are somewhat a person of interest in this city and you’ve already been spotted in Captain Yuuki’s company several times in the last twenty-four hours. Also, if I know anything about Corporal Moskowitz-” Kazuto looked questioningly at Asuna.

“Randy.”

“Ah.” Heathcliffe cleared his throat.

“Yes. As I was saying, if I know anything about the young man, it’s that he’s been undoubtedly praising your actions to anyone who will listen while he’s been at the hospital. I’m certain a news crew has already gotten an interview from him.”

“So if the media knows about what happened…” Kazuto began glumly.

“Then the mayor knows too,” Asuna finished. “And he knows that everyone is expecting him to present you with an award. There’d be no better time to do it than at the ball.”

The intercom on Heathcliffe’s desk buzzed. He jabbed at it with a thick finger.

“Yes?”

“Phone call on line one, sir. It’s the mayor. Says it’s rather urgent?” Heathcliffe looked over at Asuna and Kazuto with a faint smile.

“Yes, I have an idea of what it’s about. Put him through.” The line clicked over and a smooth baritone voice warbled out of the machine.

“Major Heathcliffe.”

“Sir.”

“I’m calling about our young friend Detective Kirigaya and Captain Yuuki.”

“I assume you are referring to last night’s events during the robbery investigation?”

“Naturally. The young man has been a credit to this city, not to mention the Captain’s efforts, but after last night, I believe if we don’t give them some recognition we may actually see some public backlash.”

“I agree completely, sir.” Heathcliffe replied, still eyeing the two with amusement. “As luck would have it, I have the detective and Captain Yuuki here in this very moment if you’d like to convey any sentiments.”

“Is that so? How fortunate I need to make two less phone calls then. Captain. Detective.” Asuna snapped to attention.

“Yes, sir!”

“You and Detective Kirigaya are to attend the ball tomorrow as guests of honor” Asuna looked over at Kazuto, her eyes wide.

“Yes, sir!”

“And be sure to wear something nice, you two. Kirigaya, you’ll be receiving a Combat Cross.” Asuna’s jaw dropped. “Captain, you’ll be receiving a Medal of Honor.” Kazuto looked back at Asuna who stood even more agape than she had a moment before.

“Thank you, sir,” he replied. “We will see you there.”

“Eight o’clock sharp, Detective. Can’t have our stars show up late!”

“You can count on me, sir.”

The phone line clicked off and Heathcliffe killed the intercom. He laced his fingers together and placed them on his desk as he leaned back in his chair.

“It seems you two will have quite the evening tomorrow night,” he commented matter-of-factly.

“But sir,” Kazuto interceded. “What about the investigation?” Heathcliffe waved his hand in a dismissive motion.

“We’re still waiting for our techs to finish analyzing all of the crime scene data. Even with them working around the clock like they have been, the soonest we could have something to go off of is the day after tomorrow, so you’ll have no choice but to go out and enjoy yourselves. That’ll be all for today, I think. Dismissed.” Asuna saluted on reflex as Kazuto gave a disgruntled sigh and a nod before turning to leave. The pair of them walked back to the elevator doors and entered in silence. Once the doors had finally clamped shut, Asuna spoke.

“A Combat Cross and a Medal of Honor,” she murmured, her eyes distant. “I can’t believe it.”

“The two highest awards possible for the APD, right?”

“Yeah,” she answered. “I mean, I’ve gotten service awards before but this-” she shook her head. “-this is incredible. I never thought something like this would happen.”

“Please,” Kazuto snorted. “You’ve had this coming forever now. My money is they’ve been holding out for an event fancy enough.” Asuna glanced over at him then lowered her eyes to the floor.

“You’re too kind,” she whispered.The elevator doors dinged open and they exited the building and quietly made their way over to Asuna’s cruiser. “Need a ride home?” Kazuto slowly just shook his head.

“No, I’m good. Probably just walk back to Agil’s and see if I can remember some manners for probably what will be the fanciest party I’ll ever be invited to.”

“You’d better,” Asuna told him as she cracked a wry smile. I’m not gonna have you embarrass me on the night of my greatest triumph.” Kazuto rolled his eyes and began to turn away.

“Yeah, yeah. Believe me, I’m gonna do whatever it takes just to get through the night and go back to everyone forgetting who I am.” He turned and started to walk away but only got a few steps before Asuna called out to him.

“Kirito.” He looked back over his shoulder at her.

She stared at him, her gaze curiously intent. The wind tugged at her overcoat, the red fabric snapping in the swift breeze, her hair trailing out behind her, but she paid it no notice as her eyes remained fixated on him.

“I never forgot you,” she told him. Something clenched in Kazuto’s chest as he felt an ache that he’d almost forgotten about rise up inside of him.

“I never forgot you either,” he called back. She let out a short breath, as if a weight had been lifted from her shoulders.

“See you tomorrow, then.”

“See you.” Kazuto resumed walking down the street towards the Lucky Dice, wondering if Agil made a drink that might help with the sudden wrenching ache he had in his chest.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

“A Combat Cross, huh? That’s a pretty big deal, right?” Kazuto nodded as he fished his lighter out of his duster pocket.

“Yeah,” he said through the cigarette clenched in his teeth. “Second highest award offered by the APD.” Agil whistled as he dropped ice into a glass and reached for a bottle of bourbon.

“Well, well,” he smirked as he poured the liquor with a slight flourish. “Look at mister big shot now.”

“Pass me my damn drink, wiseass,” Kazuto grumbled as he struck the flint on his lighter, igniting the cigarette with a few irritable puffs.

“Oh, somebody’s cranky today.”

“It’s this damn ball. You know I don’t like all of the attention.” Agil shook his head as he slid the drink down the bar to Kazuto’s waiting hand.

“Nah, there’s more to it than that. You’re real keyed up about something.” He scratched his beard thoughtfully. “I’d say it’s got something to do with the captain.”

Kazuto slammed his glass down on the bartop and shot smoke out of his nose in an angry jet. “No,” he grunted. “It doesn’t.”

“Mhmm,” Agil said with a grin. “I don’t need to be a farmer to know bullshit when I see it.” Kazuto shot him a venomous look, but said nothing. The bartender rolled his eyes and poured himself a drink. “Look, man,” he said gently. “How long we known each other?” Kazuto glanced up at him.

“Long time,” he mumbled.

“Then be real with me,” Agil told him as he came around the bar and sat next to him. “Tell me what’s going on.”

Kazuto swirled the ice cubes around in his drink, watching the light refract through them as they spun. “The captain…Asuna. She’s being presented a Medal of Honor alongside me tomorrow night at the ball. We’re the guests of honor.”

“Okay,” Agil said encouragingly. “Go on.”

“It’s just…” Kazuto began, then grunted and shook his head. He was silent for a moment. “We’ve been spending a lot of time together recently,” he went on. “And we’ve really only seen each other at work, but it’s different.”

“Different how?”

“Like…” Kazuto snapped his fingers while formulating his thoughts. “Like when I’m usually on the job, I’m usually always on guard. You never know how the situation might change. Suspect could go absolutely apeshit and you gott be ready for that to happen. Only I’m not on guard against a suspect. It’s like I’m on guard against something else. And Asuna’s just…” he broke off again, shaking his head.

“Let me see if I’m getting this right,” Agil jumped in. “She makes you feel on edge.” Kazuto nodded begrudgingly. “Why? Do you not trust her?”

“God no,” Kazuto snorted. “I’d trust her with my life. It’s just… I guess I don’t trust myself around her?” Agil regarded him out of the corner of his eye.

“Why’s that?”

“There’s…” Kazuto gestured vaguely to his chest. “Something here.”

“Something like what?”

“Tension, I suppose. But not in a bad way. Kind of like waiting for the drop on a rollercoaster. Makes me jittery.”

“Anything else? What happens when you’re around her?” Kazuto shook his head.

“I’m having a hard time describing it. My mind gets kind of fuzzy, like I’m thinking through static. I might blurt something out or act on instinct when I’d clearly benefit from thinking the situation through. Looking at her hurts sometimes, but it’s nice. And I get sad when she leaves, which is strange, because I like being alone, and there’s other times where I’ll want to say something but my throat just closes up.” He took a long drag from his cigarette. “I wish I knew what it was,” he muttered wistfully.

Agil laughed and ran a hand over his face.

“Hey, what the hell man?” Kazuto asked indignantly. “You tell me to spill my guts to you and then you laugh at me?”

“Sorry, sorry,” Agil chuckled. “It’s just for a detective, sometimes you’re so dense you couldn’t pour out a boot full of water if the instructions were on the heel.”

“The hell you talking about?” Agil rolled his eyes again and set his glass down on the bar.

“Look,” he said as he wrapped an arm around Kazuto’s shoulders. “You’ve known the captain since training at the academy, right?”

“Yeah. So what?”

“Was there ever a time where you felt like this around her before?”

Kazuto stared into his drink and thought back…

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Thought I’d find you here,” a voice told him. Kazuto looked up slowly from his tray to see Asuna standing in the doorway of the stairwell that led to the roof.

“Here I am,” he replied flatly. He looked back down at his tray and resumed slowly eating his lunch. He heard the softy treading of boots and a rustle of fabric as Asuna moved to sit down next to him.

“Nice view,” Asuna commented. “I can see why you like it up here.”

“It’s quiet,” he said without looking up. “Usually, anyway. Don’t you have friends you normally eat with in the mess hall?” She shrugged as she snapped a pair of chopsticks apart.

“Don’t have any really. Sinon is always practicing her marksmanship every waking moment she’s not in class.” She gave him a bemused look. “You’re my only other friend.”

“Sorry to hear that,” Kazuto grunted.

“How’s your hand?” The question caught him off guard. He looked down at his bandaged arm in its cast and sling.

“Oh, uh, it’s alright. Medic said it was a classic boxer’s fracture. Told me I’d be fine as long as I didn’t go throwing haymakers for a little bit.”

“I still can't believe you did that,” Asuna admonished him. “We may have passed with high marks, but was it worth it for you to end up like this?” She pointed with her chopsticks to one of the butterfly sutures under his blackened eye. He swiped her hand away.

“Absolutely,” he answered irritably. “We can’t expect to graduate if we don’t take necessary risks.”

“Key word there being ‘necessary’,” Asuna retorted. “Jumping directly into the middle of the enemy and getting the crap beat out of you can hardly be classified as ‘tactical risk taking’.” She watched him struggle to grasp a bite of rice with his chopsticks for a moment. “You’re more used to using those with your right hand, huh?”

“I’m ambidextrous,” he said with a grimace. “But I definitely prefer my right hand when it comes to some things.” He swore under his breath as he dropped another bite of rice.

“Here,” she said, rolling her eyes. “Let me help.”

“I don’t-” Kazuto’s rejection was cut short as Asuna deftly scooped up a large bite of rice and stuffed it in his mouth.

“I think I like you better this way,” she told him with a smirk. “Now I don’t have to listen you to bitch and moan so much.” Kazuto chewed furiously to tell her off.

“You’re insuff-” Another bite of rice was shoved into his mouth and his nostrils flared as he sat there fuming. Asuna laughed at his frustration.

“This is too easy,” she said, still smiling. Despite being aggravated that his peaceful lunch had been interrupted, he couldn’t help but be placated by her genuine grin. Her face softened a bit as she went on. “Thank you for doing everything that you could though. It was very kind of you,” Kazuto swallowed the mouthful of food, hoping to clear the lump in his throat.

“Yeah, well, I had my own marks to worry about too. Plus I couldn’t just let you get eaten up by those machine guns all by yourself out there,” he mumbled, looking back down at his tray again. “I hate seeing girls get hurt.” He winced and sucked in a breath through his teeth a chopstick prodded a bandage on his face. “Hey easy-”

“I don’t like seeing my friends get hurt,” Asuna told him firmly, her face and voice still soft. Kazuto noticed a dangerous glint in her eyes, however. “So you’re just going to have to get used to being around someone who is just as serious as you clearly think you are.”

Kazuto sighed through his nose, a bemused smile on his lips as he looked evenly back at her. Her expression was carefully neutral, as if she’d been discussing something as mundane as the weather or their latest training assignments. He could see below the surface as well; a resolute will that was deadly serious, albeit in a well-meaning way.

“I don’t think I have much of a choice,” he said finally. “Just don’t drag me down.” Asuna smirked at him.

“This coming from the guy who can’t manage to feed himself.”

“You know what…”

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Kazuto blinked as Agil nudged him.

“You good, man?”

“Yeah,” he said. “Yeah. Just really thinking if it’s ever been like this before, like you said.”

“And?”

“It has, a few times.”

“Yeah, I figured as much,” Agil chuckled as he stood up from the bar.

“Hey wait,” Kazuto called after him. “What’s all that mean?” Agil shot him a look before he entered his office.

“You’re a good detective, Kirito,” he called over his shoulder. “I bet you already know.”

Kazuto sat at the bar until closing, thinking over everything Agil had said and continued thinking as he waved the relief bartender goodnight and climbed the stairs to his apartment. He even kept thinking as he crawled into bed and closed his eyes. Just as he was about to drift off to sleep, he sat bolt upright in bed.

“Oh, _shit._ ”


End file.
